Blue Monday, the third Monday of the month of January, is considered by some to be, statistically speaking, the most depressing day of the year.
It’s cold and grey out, the holidays are long gone, the next official break seems, much like spring, to be approximately a million years away.
Perhaps, like me, you feel in need of a little inspiration. So here are four quotes to help you through this Blue Monday…
“If you’re going through Hell, keep going.”
Attributed to Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister who led Britain through World War II, this quote inevitably makes me think of war. Soldier on. Don’t stop. Never surrender. Never give up. Keep going, and come out on the other side.
“There are far, far better things ahead than anything we leave behind.”
I’m fairly certain Lewis, who was devoutly Christian, was referring to the promise of the afterlife. However, like the quote above on making your way through Hell, for me, this calls to mind “the light at the end of the tunnel”, perseverance, and hope for better times, here in our current existence.
“Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”
Nothing is perfect. No one is perfect. We are all flawed. Sometimes the beauty is in the imperfections. This fragment from the Leonard Cohen poem/song Anthem speaks to me on so many levels.
I will share with you one — I find that I am occasionally paralyzed by perfection. Nothing I create, nothing I do, is good enough, so I do nothing. Or I keep working on something long past reason, seeking the perfect. To strive for perfection is good, but sometimes you need to just let it go and say this is good enough. Done.
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
Again, this quote speaks of persistence and determination. While it’s important to know when to let things go, it’s also important to know the difference between giving up and moving on. Failure is not necessarily a bad thing. We learn, we grow. Failing isn’t the problem. It’s giving up that’s the problem.
Whether it’s in relation to your dreams, your goals, or life itself, don’t give in and don’t give up. (Or as my kids’ favourite Yo Gabba Gabba song says “Keep trying, keep trying. Don’t give up. Don’t give up.”)
There’s light ahead. Spring’s coming. Hang in there, guys.
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